Iraq Update
Less than a week until I hang up the commander hat for good. I have a lot of mixed feelings right now and I won't dwell on it here. It has been one of the most challenging, interesting, and rewarding years of my life. I will make sure to post the pictures of the ceremony here shortly.
The colonel is sending me to Balad Air Base after the ceremony for a few days. It may be Iraq, but it is arguably one of the nicer posts in the Army and it will be nice just to chill for a few days. They even have a theater there that rivals nice theaters in the states and Indiana Jones is playing so I am looking forward to that. Then I just plan on kicking back and reading some books between calls to the family. A buddy of mine has set me up with a room to myself on the Air Force compound so you know that is going to be nice. When I get back here to Normandy, life will be good and I am fairly senior around here now that I am post-command so I expect a pleasant few months ahead as we move closer to the finish line here.
We also have some good news (cross your fingers) that I will most likely be assigned to Monterey and right up my alley. I will be an XO at the MOVES institute, link. This is the place that develops many of the simulations for DOD and even produced the America's Army video game there. I am thinking my role will be that of an Army ground combat advisor on their projects. It is part of the Naval Postgraduate School so I will most likely be working for a Navy Commander...how ironic. Better than all that are the prospects for Ellyn's treatment and therapy there and the rest of the kid's education. Please continue to pray for it to become a reality.
Iraq has made some definitive progress this year. I know it is not highlighted in the news and there are still a wealth of problems. But we are definitely winning the current fight in that we are giving the government of Iraq a realistic chance right now. Whether or not they take advantage of it remains to be seen.
It is great to see everyone doing so well. I read all the blogs and keep up to date on your lives. Please continue to post, it makes a difference. You don't even have to send a letter!
The pictures are in order: (1) Found this in a house, great naming skill. (2) This tank was destroyed in the middle of the city I work in sometime during the US invasion, moving it out of there will be tricky but the neighborhood could do without the eyesore if we want to move on around here. (3+4) The company area at Camp Normandy where my room and office are...beautiful isn't it. (5) A picture of the "tank road" with the large market "Suq" in the background. This market saw some serious fighting all the way until a few months ago and almost every structure has bullet holes. (6) Sitting in my hatch of my Stryker on a hot day (7) One of the main roads leading into town with a Stryker platoon (8) Standing in my hatch on a beautiful evening, see how the dust gets into everything possible! (9) My company HQ section, love these guys and yes that is one gal there, a mechanic who always rolls with us and get this...she grew up in Centerville and went to Parkmont..in kindergarten when I was a Senior..so old! She is a good kid and brave as any of the guys (10) Giving a piece of my mind through my interpreter to an Iraqi Police Chief (11) Our LDS group here in a former mosque that makes for a very nice setting (12) Patrolling through "the Suq", notice the bullet holes everywhere (13) Beautiful Iraq? (14) Ok sometimes it can really be pretty.
Less than a week until I hang up the commander hat for good. I have a lot of mixed feelings right now and I won't dwell on it here. It has been one of the most challenging, interesting, and rewarding years of my life. I will make sure to post the pictures of the ceremony here shortly.
The colonel is sending me to Balad Air Base after the ceremony for a few days. It may be Iraq, but it is arguably one of the nicer posts in the Army and it will be nice just to chill for a few days. They even have a theater there that rivals nice theaters in the states and Indiana Jones is playing so I am looking forward to that. Then I just plan on kicking back and reading some books between calls to the family. A buddy of mine has set me up with a room to myself on the Air Force compound so you know that is going to be nice. When I get back here to Normandy, life will be good and I am fairly senior around here now that I am post-command so I expect a pleasant few months ahead as we move closer to the finish line here.
We also have some good news (cross your fingers) that I will most likely be assigned to Monterey and right up my alley. I will be an XO at the MOVES institute, link. This is the place that develops many of the simulations for DOD and even produced the America's Army video game there. I am thinking my role will be that of an Army ground combat advisor on their projects. It is part of the Naval Postgraduate School so I will most likely be working for a Navy Commander...how ironic. Better than all that are the prospects for Ellyn's treatment and therapy there and the rest of the kid's education. Please continue to pray for it to become a reality.
Iraq has made some definitive progress this year. I know it is not highlighted in the news and there are still a wealth of problems. But we are definitely winning the current fight in that we are giving the government of Iraq a realistic chance right now. Whether or not they take advantage of it remains to be seen.
It is great to see everyone doing so well. I read all the blogs and keep up to date on your lives. Please continue to post, it makes a difference. You don't even have to send a letter!
The pictures are in order: (1) Found this in a house, great naming skill. (2) This tank was destroyed in the middle of the city I work in sometime during the US invasion, moving it out of there will be tricky but the neighborhood could do without the eyesore if we want to move on around here. (3+4) The company area at Camp Normandy where my room and office are...beautiful isn't it. (5) A picture of the "tank road" with the large market "Suq" in the background. This market saw some serious fighting all the way until a few months ago and almost every structure has bullet holes. (6) Sitting in my hatch of my Stryker on a hot day (7) One of the main roads leading into town with a Stryker platoon (8) Standing in my hatch on a beautiful evening, see how the dust gets into everything possible! (9) My company HQ section, love these guys and yes that is one gal there, a mechanic who always rolls with us and get this...she grew up in Centerville and went to Parkmont..in kindergarten when I was a Senior..so old! She is a good kid and brave as any of the guys (10) Giving a piece of my mind through my interpreter to an Iraqi Police Chief (11) Our LDS group here in a former mosque that makes for a very nice setting (12) Patrolling through "the Suq", notice the bullet holes everywhere (13) Beautiful Iraq? (14) Ok sometimes it can really be pretty.
Comments